N17286:198
The saints everlasting rest
The saints everlasting rest: or, A treatise of the blessed state of the saints in their enjoyment of God in glory: extracted from the works of Mr. Richard Baxter, by John Wesley, M.A. late fellow of Lincoln College, Oxford.
Philadelphia: printed by Prichard & Hall, 1790
Part 2 › Chapter 2: The Aggravation of the Loss of Heaven to the Ungodly.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Though the understandings of the damned will not then be sanctified; yet will they be cleared from a multitude of errors. They think now that their honour, their estates, their pleasures, their health and life, are better worth their labour, than the things of another world; but when these things which had their hearts, have left them in misery, when they know by experience, the things which before they did but read and heard of, they w••• be quite in another mind. They would not believe that water would drown, till […] were in the sea; nor that the fire would burn, […] were cast into it; but when they see it, they ⟨p. 93⟩will easily believe. All that error of their mind, which made them set light by GOD, and abhor his worship, and vilify his people, will then be removed by experience; their knowledge shall be increased, that their sorrows may be increased. Doubtless those poor souls would be comparatively happy, if their understandings were wholly taken from them, if they had no more knowledge than idiots, or brute beasts; or if they knew no more in hell, than they did upon earth, their loss and misery would then less trouble them.
Though the understandings of the damned will not then be sanctified; yet will they be cleared from a multitude of errors. They think now that their honour, their estates, their pleasures, their health and life, are better worth their labour, than the things of another world; but when these things which had their hearts, have left them in misery, when they know by experience, the things which before they did but read and heard of, they w••• be quite in another mind. They would not believe that water would drown, till 〈…〉 were in the sea; nor that the fire would burn, 〈…〉 were cast into it; but when they seel it, they ⟨p. 93⟩will easily believe. All that error of their mind, which made them set light by GOD, and abhor his worship, and vilify his people, will then be removed by experience; their knowledge shall be increased, that their sorrows may be increased. Doubtless those poor souls would be comparatively happy, if their understandings were wholly taken from them, if they had no more knowledge than idiots, or brute beasts; or if they knew no more in hell, than they did upon earth, their loss and misery would then less trouble them.